Captain James Cook & his Crew
Exerpts from ther Diaries upon contact with First Nations people in Nootka Sound
"A great many canoes filled with the Natives were about the ships all day, and a trade commenced betwixt us and them, which was carried on with the Strictest honisty on boath sides. Their articles were the Skins of various animals, such as Bears, Wolfs, Foxes, Dear, Rackoons, Polecats, Martins and in particular the Sea Beaver, the same as is found on the coast of Kamtchatka."
"... in the evening, several of the larger Canoes saluted us, by making a Circuit around the ships and giving 3 Halloos at their departure. They paddle in most excellent time, the foremost man every 3rd or 4th Stroke making flourishes with his paddle. the halloo is a single note in which they all join, swelling it out in the middle and letting the sound die away. in a Calm with the hills around us, it had an effect infinitely superior to what might be imagined from any thing so simple."
"The greatest number of the Canoes remained in a cluster around us til ten O'clock, & as they had no arms, & appeared very friendly, we did not care how long they staid to entertain themselves, & perhaps us: a man repeated a few words in tune, & regulated the meaning by beating against the Canoe sides, after which they all joined in a song, that was by no means unpleasant to the Ear.
A young man with a remarkable soft effeminate voice after ward sung by himself, but he ended so suddenly & unexpectedly, which being accompanied by a peculiar gesture, made us all laugh, & he finding that we were not ill pleased repeated his song several times.
Benchmarks of Historical Thinking:
Primary Sources
Need to know the origin of the text...
Transcribed from original document?
Were there other explorer's accounts from the same time? Other accounts from his crew?
Historical Significance
Could this be the first exposure of West coast Natives to Europeans? First impressions?
Could this be a record of customs and practices of Natives at that time?
Could be a record of species?
Continuity and Change
Language (English) has remained (spelling has changed)
Documentation very stylized
Very subjective - Cook's observations - doesn't necessary come across as objective
Cause and Consequence
Exploration led to colonization
Historical Perspective
Journalling as the primary means of capturing information
Exploration as a means of knowing the world - writing to capture facts to take back to Europe
Exerpts from ther Diaries upon contact with First Nations people in Nootka Sound
"... in the evening, several of the larger Canoes saluted us, by making a Circuit around the ships and giving 3 Halloos at their departure. They paddle in most excellent time, the foremost man every 3rd or 4th Stroke making flourishes with his paddle. the halloo is a single note in which they all join, swelling it out in the middle and letting the sound die away. in a Calm with the hills around us, it had an effect infinitely superior to what might be imagined from any thing so simple."
"The greatest number of the Canoes remained in a cluster around us til ten O'clock, & as they had no arms, & appeared very friendly, we did not care how long they staid to entertain themselves, & perhaps us: a man repeated a few words in tune, & regulated the meaning by beating against the Canoe sides, after which they all joined in a song, that was by no means unpleasant to the Ear.
A young man with a remarkable soft effeminate voice after ward sung by himself, but he ended so suddenly & unexpectedly, which being accompanied by a peculiar gesture, made us all laugh, & he finding that we were not ill pleased repeated his song several times.
Benchmarks of Historical Thinking:
Primary Sources
Historical Significance
Continuity and Change
Cause and Consequence
Historical Perspective
Moral Consequence